How does urbanization affect local climate and biodiversity?

Urban environments transform local climate and biological communities through physical alteration of land, inputs of energy and pollutants, and social choices about land use. Foundational work by Timothy R. Oke, University of British Columbia, established that concentrated built surfaces, reduced vegetation, and human-generated heat produce urban heat islands that raise air and surface temperatures compared with surrounding rural areas. These thermal changes interact with atmospheric processes to alter wind patterns, increase formation of ground-level ozone, and shift rainfall timing and intensity, with tangible effects on human comfort, energy use, and public health.

Urban heat, rainfall, and air quality
Impervious surfaces such as concrete and asphalt increase heat storage and reduce evaporative cooling, while buildings modify airflow and trap pollutants. David J. Nowak, United States Forest Service, has shown that urban trees and green infrastructure reduce local temperatures, filter particulate matter, and lower building energy demand. In many tropical and subtropical cities, higher humidity amplifies heat stress, making heatwaves more dangerous, whereas temperate cities experience stronger seasonal contrasts that change how heat islands affect energy consumption for cooling and heating. Changes in convection around dense urban cores can increase afternoon thunderstorms downwind, altering local precipitation patterns and water management needs.

Habitat loss, fragmentation, and biodiversity responses
Land conversion for housing, roads, and industry is the primary driver of local biodiversity loss in cities and peri-urban zones. The global assessment led by Robert Watson, University of East Anglia, for the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services identifies land-use change as a leading cause of species declines. Fragmentation isolates plant and animal populations, reducing gene flow and resilience. Richard T. Corlett, Chinese Academy of Sciences, notes that urban assemblages often become dominated by a few tolerant native species and non-native introductions, producing biotic homogenization that erodes regional distinctiveness.

Causes, consequences, and human dimensions
The causes of these changes mix biophysical processes with social decisions. Zoning, transportation planning, and economic incentives determine where green space survives and where dense development concentrates. Environmental justice research by Rachel Morello-Frosch, University of California Berkeley, documents that heat exposure and poor air quality disproportionately affect low-income and marginalized neighborhoods, linking urban climate impacts to health disparities and cultural patterns of access to nature. Culturally specific landscaping practices, traditional use of urban wetlands, and communal green spaces influence local biodiversity and residents’ capacity to adapt.

Implications for management and territory
Managing urban climate and biodiversity requires integrating green infrastructure, planning for habitat connectivity, and equitable distribution of ecosystem services across neighborhoods. Protecting remnant natural areas, restoring urban waterways, and planting diverse native vegetation can mitigate heat, improve stormwater management, and support pollinators and birds that provide cultural and recreational value. Territorial planning that recognizes climate variation between regions, the cultural roles of urban nature, and socioeconomic inequities can reduce vulnerabilities while preserving the environmental and cultural identities of cities and their surrounding landscapes.